Feeling independent? 🧐
The SIM card thing is a bit slow so the NIN men are raising the stakes: now, citizens who don't have NIN can't get a driving license and passport. The NIN-SIM linking deadline has also been extended to the 31st of this month.
In this week’s edition
Buhari blames everyone but himself for the state of the country
CBN sued over eNaira
VAT wars: Oyo State and the Court of Appeal take the ring
Its independence season and the colonisers are still at it
Last week, artists from Nigeria offered the British Museum free art in exchange for the Benin Bronzes the British troops stole in 1897. Two curators of the museum's "Africa" department met with an artist (Osarobo Zeickner-Okoro), took his offered art and told him that an exchange is impossible.
Speaking of October 1st: President speaks for the first time in... how long?
Independence day! One of the less than a handful of times a year the president graces us with his actual voice.
My favourite bits are in bold
In his Independent day speech, Buhari addressed the insurgency he is concerned about: He claims that the FG has found financiers of separatist Sunday Igboho and Nnamdi Kanu. One is a "serving member of the national assembly".
He maintains that he has made strides in food shortage, but "Unfortunately food prices have been going up due to artificial shortages created by middlemen who have been buying and hoarding these essential commodities for profiteering."
Note: This isn't Buhari's first blame game. His military regime had a few hits
On social media: Following the suspension of Twitter operations, Twitter Inc. reached out to the Federal Government of Nigeria to resolve the impasse. Subsequently, I constituted a Presidential Committee to engage Twitter to explore the possibility of resolving the issue.
Recall that months ago, Lai Muhammed mentioned that Twitter's conditions were to create a local office, pay taxes. Buhari says the issue is being addressed and he has "directed that the suspension be lifted but only if the conditions are met to allow our citizens continue the use of the platform for business and positive engagements"
Finally, he "fully understand[s] the anxiety of many Nigerians on the inability of this country to go beyond a never-ending potential for becoming a great nation to an actually great one."
Again, he has achieved a lot in the last six years, but these haters, man. In his words "critics misdiagnose incremental progress as stagnation". He explains "Since coming to power, this Administration has tackled our problems head-on in spite of the meagre resources.
No government since 1999 has done what we have done in six years to put Nigeria back on track.
What a guy
What the president did not cover
The Federal Government has plans to end the electricity subsidy next year, meaning Nigerians will pay more for electricity in 2022.
Subsidy payments in the electricity sector are pegged at N30 billion monthly.
The FG stated that its intention is to allow the electricity market to determine its prices.
Peace of mind is not all the CBN steals
Payments solution firm, ENaira is suing the Central Bank of Nigeria for trying to steal their name.
Speaking of independence day disasters, yesterday, hours before its scheduled release date, the CBN announced that the launch of Nigeria's digital currency — eNaira- had been rescheduled.
The CBN has stated on several occasions that the eNaira will be launched officially on Nigeria’s Independence Anniversary day, 1st October 2021.
A day before the postponement was announced, ENaira— a payments solution firm — filed a lawsuit at the Federal High Court to sue the CBN for stealing their name
According to their lawyer, “ENAIRA Payment solutions limited” has been incorporated since 2004 registered and the launch of the eNaira is a threat to the company's trademark.
But the two are not related apparently because according to the CBN, the postponement was because they didn't want to steal the independence day thunder
CBN has not addressed ENaira's claims, and there are no reports of previous warnings from the company. They just sort of showed up a day before like an ex on your wedding day.
What is eNaira?
It's Nigeria's Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC).
CBDC is the virtual format of a country's currency, issued and is regulated by its central bank. They can be used, just like traditional currency, to buy goods and services in the country.
So far, at least 80% of central banks around the world are exploring CBDCs.
The general belief is that CBDCs could help move economies further into digitisation. Some digital currency experts say CBDCs are structured in a way that makes them cheaper than bank accounts, so "banking the unbanked" might be achievable with a digital currency.
FIRS vs Lagos, Rivers, Oyo, Court of Appeal...
In our last newsletter, we reported that the Federal High court had rejected Rivers and Lagos States' previous win against the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), allowing state governments to collect state VAT
This week, both states prepare to challenge the ruling, the Court of Appeal and Oyo State Government take the states' side.
The Oyo State Governor, requesting to join Rivers, said they'd like to join because they too would like to be in charge of their taxes
At Lagos' hearing held at the Court of Appeal in Abuja, the court declared that the Lagos State government had established beyond doubt that it has substantial and sufficient legal rights to their taxes
The court ordered that all processes filed in respect of the suit be served on the Lagos State government as a third respondent to enable the state to respond as required by law to the appeal filed by the FIRS.
The hearing will continue at the Port Harcourt division of the Court of Appeal on the 7th of October
Terrorist attacks
Zamfara
Zamfara commissioner for information, Ibrahim Dosara says 2,000 terrorist informants have been arrested in the state.
Over the past few weeks, the Zamfara government has taken several measures to tackle terrorism in the state, including shutting down telecommunications services.
He said since their arrest, the informants have provided information on others involved, including high-profile Nigerians
He also disclosed that the government is considering restoring telecommunications services in the state capital before the end of the week.
Attack on a military base in Sokoto
Terrorists attacked a military base in Sokoto state and killed 16 officers of the army, police and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
Witnesses recall that the attackers came in “in very large numbers”.
Last week, Sokoto banned telcos in the state to try and disrupt and gain some control over the increasing terrorist attacks in the state.
Days later, the military interspersed another attack in Sokoto. The terrorists were attempting an attack on the Forward Operation Base in Burkusuma, a border settlement between the Niger Republic and Sokoto.
This is the second attack on a military base in Northern Nigeria. In August, a terrorist attack at a military base in Kaduna left 2 officers dead
Kaduna, this week shuts down Telecom in some parts of the state, along with a state-wide ban on commercial use motorcycles.
Other news updates
A rural community in Osun state has been swamped by miners who are in the business of exploring the land in search of precious stones. These miners have wrecked homes and farms of residents (The Cable)
Global oil prices rise for the first time in 3 years while Nigeria struggles to meet OPEC quota (Leadership)
The Senate wants Buhari to declare Boko Haram and other terrorist groups wanted and prosecute them (The Cable)
FG approves 14-day paternity leave for civil servants (The Cable)
R Kelly finally convicted for sex trafficking (Arise)
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brilliant news-telling as ever. well done!